...LYNN, Mass. -- The North Shore Navigators’ three latest signees all come from a familiar place, as it was announced on Monday that Saint Joseph's College of Maine pitcher Zach Begin, pitcher Matt Demma, and infielder Joey Murphy will join the Futures Collegiate Baseball League club in 2018.​“St. Joe’s is one of the stronger Division III programs in New England, and our teams have formed a great relationship over the years,” Navigators general manager Bill Terlecky said. “We’re excited to keep that connection going with three talented Massachusetts players.”

This trio brings the number of St. Joe's products in North Shore franchise history to 10, while all but one Navs team since 2011 has included at least one player from the Monks.

A Georgetown native, Begin will join the Navs after his freshman season in Standish, Maine. The 5-foot-7, 158-pound righty was named a Catholic Conference All-Star last spring after helping St. John’s Prep advance to the Massachusetts Division 1A Super 8 championship round for the second straight year. Begin threw 41.1 innings as a senior, ranking among The Salem News area leaders with six victories, a 1.74 ERA, and 54 strikeouts.

Demma posted a 2-1 record and 1.57 ERA in 28.2 innings during his first collegiate season, winning once as a starter and a reliever. Five of his nine appearances were starts, including a one-hit, 10-strikeout effort over five innings on April 17 against Plymouth State. His 31 punchouts ranked third on the staff. The Worcester native was a member of two Division 1 state championship teams and also played hockey and golf at St. Peter-Marian High School in his home city.

Rounding out the St. Joe’s trio is Murphy, who started at second base over the majority of his first two seasons at St. Joe’s and has amassed a .333 average in 68 career games. He hit .331 with five doubles, his first collegiate home run and 18 RBI in 36 contests in 2017, while leading the team with 39 runs scored and 21 walks. Born in Lynn, Murphy attended Pinkerton Academy in his hometown of Derry, N.H., where he called current Keene State and two-year Navs catcher Nate Rossi his teammate.

Dexter and Bawiec are two of just 10 two-way players from the D3 level cited by the publication. Dexter’s Huskies are ranked 11th in the Preseason Top 40, while UMass Boston – which features Bobby Tramondozzi (2016-17) on its pitching staff – is fifth after its College World Series appearance last spring.

Tufts – including Falkson as well as Navs-to-be JP Knight and Elias Varinos – is one of four other ranked New England squads, checking in at No. 26.

USM Huskies@usmhuskiesHuskies’ OF Dylan Hapworth selected as a @d3baseball preseason first team All-American. The 2017 @LittleEastConf Rookie of the Year, Hapworth was a 3rd Team AA last season #GoHuskies https://t.co/mlcnqlwM00